Patna: A 25-year-old man with criminal antecedents was shot dead in Kamtaul police station area of Darbhanga late Tuesday night. The victim, identified as Aditya Madhav Bhardwaj alias Satyam of Ratanpur village, sustained three bullet injuries, including in the chest and near the temple. His body was found in bushes near an orchard on the Ratanpur-Kalwara road.Police suspect Aditya was killed elsewhere and his body dumped near the orchard, around 2km from his home. Passersby spotted the body and alerted a local chowkidar, who informed police.Sadar SDPO-2 Satish Kumar Suman and an FSL team visited the spot and collected evidence. The body was sent to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) for post-mortem before being handed over to the family.According to Aditya’s father, Sanjeev Kumar, his son had left home around 5pm to buy medicine for his three-year-old daughter. He alleged that around 7pm, four youths, identified as Satyam Jha, Ramnath Mahto, Ranjeet Kumar and another person, took Aditya away on a motorcycle from the village.“I spoke to him at 8.17pm. He told me he was returning after buying medicine. Around 9.45pm, I received a call from the village chowkidar informing me that he had been shot,” Sanjeev told police.The family alleged that there had been a previous attempt on Aditya’s life. Sanjeev claimed that on July 2, his son was abducted between Shaheed Chowk and Main Chowk in Ratanpur village by several persons and assaulted. An FIR was subsequently lodged.Aditya, who had studied engineering, is survived by his parents, wife Moni and a three-year-old daughter. His wife is currently in Gurugram undergoing training in beauty parlour work.The SDPO said a cellphone was recovered from the victim and investigators were examining call records, CCTV footage and local movements before the murder. Based on the family’s statement, a murder case has been registered against three named persons.The officer said eight cases, including robbery, firing and liquor trade offences, were registered against Aditya at Kamtaul police station. He had also spent time in jail. Police are verifying whether he was involved in cases registered at other nearby police stations.Police said all angles, including old criminal rivalries, liquor trade links and personal enmity, are being investigated. Technical evidence and mobile phone records are also being analysed.
